Arsenal haven't had many welcoming visits to the Brittania Stadium in recent seasons, and the booing of Aaron Ramsey and the jeering of Arsene Wenger gives the impression that yesterday's visit wasn't much appreciated either.
Arsenal's unimaginative build up play and inability to find a killer pass in the second half was over shadowed by Newcastle's hammering at Wigan, which meant that Arsenal's display changed from an average performance to a battling display and a well earned point. It could have been a lot worse without Robin Van Persie equalising after Peter Crouch had opened the scoring though.
The Gunners came out of the blocks quickly, Rosicky fashioning an early chance for Van Persie, forcing Begovic to make a good near post save. However, rather typically of his last few performances, Sagna gave the ball away needlessly in the wide area. Stoke supplied the cross and there was Crouch to nod in at the far post. Arsenal needed to react quickly before Stoke had time to park the bus. Rosicky put in a brilliant cross, Van Persie duly applied a finishing touch, prodding the ball into the net. You would have thought Arsenal would use their initiative and go on to find a second, but they couldn't, and Stoke really did go on and park the bus by then.
Carrying on the fluid passing in the second half proved difficult for Arsenal, and the only half chance was when Yossi Benayoun was bundled over in the box, it may have been given on another day. The only other talking points were the booing of Aaron Ramsey, as he really did want to break his leg in two places didn't he, and the mocking of Arsene Wenger from the Stoke fans. They still can't grasp why Arsenal are third from playing football on the floor, and why they are fourteenth, by permanently playing the ball in the air.
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